10 Reasons Curly Hair Is Challenging But Awesome

It's a common misconception that everyone wants the hair they don't have. Personally, I love my curly hair, but taking care of it is always an adventure.

1. Curly bedhead

Waking up with curly hair is so unpredictable. Odds are you'll wake up with a giant knot and have some major work to do.

2. ...or not

These are the days that you are thankful to have curls, because these are the days you can effortlessly roll out of bed looking like you have a salon blowout.

3. Detangling

It took me over half my life to figure out that a wide-tooth comb is the way to go. Hairbrushes separate those gorgeous curls and leave you with a frizzy mess. Plus, they're liable to get stuck in that mane and never come out.

4. Braid struggles

Braids are glorious because they'll keep your marvelous mane tame and out of your way. But stray curls just seem to find their way out of the braid, making for continuous annoyance, even if it does look cute and wind-blown.

5. Windy days

Speaking of wind, these can be some of the most miserable days for curly folks. There's no controlling your curls when a gust sends loose strands straight into your face.

6. Getting a haircut

It is so difficult to find a stylist that knows how to properly trim, cut, or style curly hair. They trim our tresses just like they would straight hair, but they never seem to understand that they are cutting WAY too much of our hair off. And for us, parting with our precious hair is like losing a friend (nevermind that it grows back).

7. Wanting to try new styles

There's always a cool new hairstyle trend floating around our popular culture. Sometimes this works in our favor, like when beach waves became a thing. But more often than not, hair trends like side bangs and middle parts are best suited to straight hair. You will never catch me wearing a Buddha bun in public, because my fluffy hair is way too heavy to stay up like that.

8. Parents and friends who just don't get it

Since curly folks are usually a minority, we often grow up with straight-haired parents and friends that just don't get our hair. Some of our moms brushed out every last curl, leaving us looking like we stuck our finger in an electrical outlet. And when it was time to braid each other's hair at a sleepover or for a school dance, our friends struggled to tame our luxurious manes.

9. Glorious hair beards

But a curly-haired childhood had its perks. As kids, we all pulled our hair in front of our chins and put it in a ponytail to see what we would look like with a beard. Everyone knows that voluminous, curly hair makes for the most majestic beards, hands down.

10. Curly hair is just awesome

Even if we sometimes resent it, deep down we curly folks are proud of our hair. All hair is unique and beautiful in its own way. Learning to overcome the obstacles presented by a mane with a mind of its own can be difficult, but oh so rewarding when we own our style and rock our curls with confidence!

4. "There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls."

5. Viking symbol meaning "create your own reality."

6.Greek symbol of Inguz: where there's a will, there's a way.

7. Psalm 18:33 "He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights."

8. 'Ohm' tattoo that represents 4 different states of consciousness and a world of illusion: waking (jagrat), dreaming (swapna), deep sleep (sushupti), transcendental state (turiya) and world of illusion (maya)

10. The Greek word “Meraki" means to do something with soul, passion, love and creativity or to put yourself in to whatever you do.

11. Malin (Skövde, Sweden) – you have to face setbacks to be able to go forward.

12. Symbol meaning "thief" from the Hobbit. It was the rune Gandalf etched into Bilbo's door so the dwarves could find his house.

13. “Lux in tenebris" means “light in darkness."

14. Anchor Tattoo: symbolizing strength & stability, something (or someone) who holds you in place, and provides you the strength to hold on no matter how rough things get.

15."Ad Maiora" is translated literally as “Towards greater things." It is a formula of greeting used to wish more success in life, career or love.

16. A glyphs means “explore." It was meant as a reminder for me to never stop exploring.

17. "Aut inveniam viam aut faciam," meaning roughly, "Either I shall find a way, or I will make one."

18. Lotus Flower. It grows in muddy water, and it is this environment that gives forth the flower's first and most literal meaning: rising and blooming above the murk to achieve enlightenment.

19. The zen (or ensō) circle to me represents enlightenment, the universe & the strength we all have inside of us.

20. Two meanings. The moon affirms life. It looks as if it is constantly changing. Can reminds us of the inconsistency of life. It is also symbolizes the continuous circular nature of time and even karma.

11 Skin Care Tips If You've Never Even Touched A Cleanser

Skin care should be simple. We wash our skin every day when we wash our hands and shower, but this is still not enough, especially for skin prone to acne or dryness. So, what is a cash-strapped college student supposed to do? Here are 11 tips for taking care of your skin that won't break the bank.

1. Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated and drinking enough water is the first step to getting healthy skin. Just like the rest of your body, your skin suffers if you don't drink enough water can look dull and lifeless. Just by making sure you're getting your daily dose of water, you're doing your skin a huge favor. Not to mention, if your skin is dehydrated, it won't benefit from skin products the same way as it would if you were drinking enough water.

2. Catch Some Z's

Again, like with water, if you aren't getting enough sleep, it can cause your skin to look tired, too. Just by getting a full eight hours of sleep (consistently), you can guarantee that you will see an improvement in the look of your skin.

3. Rinse

Before taking a foray into the world of cleansers and any skin care product, just rinsing your face before you go to bed can clean off surface dirt and help keep your skin cleaner. It's easy to add into your before bed routine and while it certainly isn't a cure for acne or any other skin condition, rinsing your face before bed can be easy to set up a routine and to warm up to more intense skin care regiments.

4. Moisturize

Once you've gotten warmed up, the most basic step is to get a cheap moisturizer. Moisturizers range from affordable to designer, but to start off, you're probably best just going to Target and picking up a cheap one. Follow the directions on the package for the most part, however, I have noticed that if you have naturally oily skin, it might be best to start off moisturizing every other day, or once a day. But, you will soon find a regimen that works for you.

5. Remove Your Makeup

This might seem disgustingly simple, but growing up, I didn't realize you had to remove your makeup. I either automatically did it by showering or would just let it wear off until the next morning. Obviously, this is terrible for your skin and can cause acne, as well as make acne worse. One of the easiest ways is simply to shower, or, you can buy makeup removal wipes, cleansers, etc. But, I think showering or wipes are usually the cheapest and easiest ways to go.

6. Use Toner

For those of us that suffered from teenage acne, many of you may have already used toner or another astringent. For people with oily skin or those with acne, toner can help dry up the skin in those areas and kill off the blackheads. Careful though, if you already have dry skin, you might be best to not use toner altogether or to use extremely sparingly. Even for those with oily skin, toner should be used only in problem areas and not spread across your whole face like a mask or other products.

7. Face Masks

Speaking of masks, it seems like face masks have become the one way we treat our skin. While face masks are beneficial and a great way to treat yourself (don't stop on that front!), they can't be your only foray into skin care. However, masks can help with various problems, so working a mask in once or twice a week is certainly going to help you get the skin you want.

8. Sunscreen

Even though we live in one of rainiest and cloudiest areas of the US, sunscreen is still important in the winter when the sun doesn't shine as much. While there's certainly no reason to lather your entire body in it (assuming you're probably covered up due to the cold), but finding a moisturizer that doubles as a sunscreen is a great way to protect your face from UV rays year round.

9. Try A Simple Cleanser First

Before getting too fancy, buy a simple cream or foam cleanser. They are usually pretty cheap and are an easy way to work into more intense skincare regimens. These kinds of cleansers persist for a reason: they work! At the very least, they will keep surface dirt from getting too far down into your pores and causing outbreaks (although may not help outbreaks with other causes such as hormones).

10. Experiment

Everyone's skin is different. What works for me, may not work for you. The best thing you can do is experiment with different cleansers, exfoliates, masks, etc. and see which ones do your skin the most good.

11. Stop Touching Your Face So Much

This is a tip, however, everyone can use. As adults, one of the ways we get acne is by touching dirty hands to our face. Even if you religiously wash your hands, there is a transfer there that can cause acne. If you tend to get acne on your cheeks, this may be the root cause. Give your cell phone a good wipe down and try to be conscious of when you're touching your face.